NYC students brutally beat two African boys, calling them ‘Ebola’

Two African-American schoolchildren who recently returned to the United States from overseas were reportedly taken to the hospital after other students physically assaulted them in New York City and called them “Ebola.”

The two brothers from
Senegal, aged 11 and 13, suffered severe injuries and were
“brutally beaten” by classmates Oct. 24, according to a statement
from the African Advisory Council of the Bronx (AAC). Both boys
are residents of Bronx.

"They call me from the school tell me come, they're beating
your children. I rush, go there my children was very hurt,
headached, he was crying, laying on the floor, more than 10
children on top of him, beating him," the boys’ father,
Ousmane Drame, told NY1 in an interview.

Speaking to CBS News, meanwhile, Drame added that
students made fun of his sons and refused to come in contact with
objects they touched.

"As soon as they go to the gym, they don't want to touch the
ball, they say guys have Ebola, don't touch the ball," he
said.

Press conference in Harlem after 2 African boys were beaten in
the Bronx by classmates chanting, "Ebola, Ebola!" pic.twitter.com/Q3FRToJryf

Drame also accused the school of failing to take any action that
would help his children, though the AAC said the school did take
disciplinary action. The Department of Education is also looking
into the matter.

"This incident has been reported, we are investigating and we
take this matter very seriously," the department said in a
statement, according to CBS New York. "DOE School Safety
staff are on site today to mediate this incident and ensure the
safety and support of these students, school staff and their
families."

The AAC is looking to take up the incident in a meeting with
Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Police Department Commissioner
Bill Bratton, the group wrote in a post on Facebook.

“We demand corrective measures that will stop bullying and
violence against our children while in school and in the
community. As citizens of this country and New York State, we ask
for the equal protection guarantee under the law,” the
group’s statement said.

While both brothers spent the majority of their lives in Senegal,
they were born in the United States. They have now been back in
America for about a month.